Heavier Than Heaven
by swanheartthief
Summary: Ichigo's never liked Orihime as anything more than a friend. So when an ill-fated Tanabata wish comes true and Ichigo is forced to let her go, the most powerful enemy he's ever faced becomes the one person his heart won't let him destroy.
1. Chapter 1

"**Heavier Than Heaven"**

**Pairings **Ichigo/Orihime

**Disclaimer** Bleach was created by the wonderful and talented Tite Kubo. Please don't sue me, I'm an extremely broke college student with only dryer lint and a penny to my name.

**Author's Note **Hi everyone! I know there's probably thousands of Tanabata stories for Bleach, but as Tanabata/Qi Xi have a special meaning for me, I really wanted to do my own version. I'll try my hardest to make it unique, but I apologize if there's anything similar. As I noted in my other Bleach story, I haven't been reading a lot of Bleach fanfics until recently.

This takes place about a couple months after the end of the Fullbring arc. I haven't started to read anything in the Thousand Year Blood War arc yet, so yeah. Thank you to everyone for reading ^_^ ~**Koete**

* * *

_**Chapter One**__ - "End of __the __P__recious Nakama? Orihime's Loneliness__"_

She could feel her heart racing in her chest. She swore she heard it pounding against the bed mat beneath her, the sound thundering in her ears as the slow blush crept up her cheeks. Placing her hands over her stomach, she tried to breathe, slowly and easily, in an effort to ease her erratic pulse, but to no avail.

Fidgeting and rocking slightly in the white cotton sheets, Orihime pulled a heavy blanket over her head, her breath quickening and heating the air around her face, adding to the already fiery blush.

She only had three days. She had to ask him…

But what if he refused? The fear was paralyzing.

She'd tried asking him at school earlier, but as soon as she saw him, she choked on her words until she'd fallen over herself and ran away, never quite able to tell him how she really felt. It was always the same.

Sighing to herself, Orihime rolled over onto her side, gripping the bed sheets and gluing her eyes shut against the tears that were threatening to escape, the fear and hopelessness rising like acid in her throat.

With all that had happened, Orihime had known it was never really the proper time to dump her feelings onto Ichigo. And even when she tried, she was too scared. But with Aizen subdued and Ginjo dead, and the Soul Society at relative peace, their lives had slowly begun to return to normal- or rather as normal as it could get for them. While they still shared the occasional meeting with Sado and Uryu, and of course the usual visits to Urahara's shop, for the most part they'd all gone their separate ways, bogged down by their work and school. The thought sparked a dull ache in Orihime's chest. With their time together becoming less and less, Orihime had to wonder if their battles for the Soul Society had been the only glue truly keeping them together. After all, before those fateful days where they all came together to save Rukia, she was just a nobody Ichigo ran into occasionally at school.

And yet he'd become the single biggest reckoning force in her life. He'd taught her how to be strong, given her a purpose, given her the power to protect her loved ones. He'd saved her in all the ways a person could be saved, and though she wasn't delusional enough to think they had some special celestial bond, she felt honored and special to even be part of his life. Clutching tightly to her pillow, the tears finally spilled over from her dark silver eyes, dampening her hair and darkening the fabric of the pillowcase. While Orihime knew she may never be with him the way she wanted, the thought of life without him at all made the dull ache ebb into a sharp, knife-like pain, sticking straight into her heart.

"Kurosaki-kun…" she whispered, the phantom of him everywhere around her and nowhere.

Unable to fall asleep, she sat up, rubbing at her eyes which began to sting with a salty burn, wiping away at her tear-stained cheeks. Rising, she moved to the sink for a drink of water, the coolness soothing the sandpaper feeling in her throat. Always graceful, she knocked the special bag of cookies over, the loose ribbon untying as several star shaped, smile faced cookies came falling out of the colorful red paper.

Frantically she began to scoop them up back into the paper bag, sighing sadly that a few of the star points had fallen off. Orihime had worked really hard on them, carefully crafting them so she could use them to ask Ichigo to the Tanabata festival. She'd wanted to make them into her special eggplant jelly, bean curd and rice cake cookies, but when she ran the idea by Tatsuki, the other girl simply blinked at her, going pale and sweatdropping before pulling Orihime aside to a computer and looking up a "normal" cookie recipe for her. After printing one out, Tatsuki shoved the paper into her friend's hand and sighed as she sat on the desk behind her, giving Orihime an admonishing stare.

'_You're trying to win his heart, not eat his insides with acid.' _

Funny, Orihime always thought her cookies were really good. Matsumoto had downed them like water with her sake, so she'd thought maybe Ichigo would like them too. But there was no room for error if she wanted to win Ichigo's heart, so she decided to take her best friend's word for it. After all, Tatsuki was trying extra hard to help Ichigo see Orihime's feelings. Orihime had wanted to ask about other ways to maybe get him to see her, but Ichigo had come bursting into the room, looking for Tatsuki. Tatsuki had asked him to help her practice for one of her sparing matches, and told him to meet her here (and yet, it was so strange she thought, why would they have a sparring match in the middle of a classroom?). Orihime felt a small pang of disappointment that it hadn't been her he was looking for. Why would he? She was just a friend, no special reason to seek her out. So when Ichigo said hi, all Orihime could do was give him a small smile, swaying nervously in place while he was talking to Tatsuki. She would've thought with all they'd been through, talking to him like a normal person would've become a lot easier.

Apparently her look of misery was a little more obvious than she would have liked because Tatsuki began to discreetly elbow her, grinning with a sly smile. Orihime must have looked horrified because Ichigo looked…concerned for her? It made her heart soar, the way those beautiful amber eyes looked at her.

'_Didn't you have something you wanted to ask Ichigo, Orihime?'_

Orihime remembered just how silly her nervous laughter must've sounded and how red she must have been since Tatsuki and Ichigo were staring at her as if she'd sprouted another head. _'I uh…nevermind, silly me, I must've forgotten… but I gotta go… I got uh…baking lessons! Yeah! That's right! I totally forgot! We're making these cookies!' _A wave of pure embarrassment fell over her as Orihime remembered how she'd practically shoved the freshly printed cookie recipe in Ichigo's face before nearly knocking him down to get out of the room. Always the same story…always too terrified to say her feelings out loud.

Retying the gold ribbon around the bag, she clutched it to her chest as her heart once again began pounding with nerves, her other hand gripping the counter tightly. Wiping away at the stray tears in her eyes, she set the bag of cookies next to her school bag, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. A heavy sigh escaped Orihime's lips as she plopped back down on her makeshift bed. Pulling the pillows over her head and letting out a helpless moan, Orihime quickly fell into a light sleep, unaware of the nebulous figure that had appeared outside her window.

'_I finally found you… my Princess…'_

…

For hours he watched her, the moon shifting in the sky's cradle as the hours passed. Drenched in the moonlight, he could not take his eyes off her. She was finally in front of him again, thousands of years of searching at last coming to fruition. Raising his hand to the window, he stared longingly at the red haired girl within, tossing and turning as she curled up in the sheets.

"We can finally be together again… my Orihime. I will take you away from this place, I promise you. These mortals will all come to death… you have suffered so much… I will make them all pay, I swear it! Especially… him!"

The man removed his hand from the window as it formed into a clenched fist, the leather glove encasing it tightening painfully, tearing into his skin as blood began dripping from inside. "He took you away from me, came between us… brainwashed you, to the point you took your own life because you could not bear to be away from him! He did not care that you loved him so! He stood idly by and let you die! You gave him your heart and he threw it away and stepped on it!" he raged, his captive audience still sleeping soundly inside.

"I promise you my love… we will be together again. We'll deal with these spineless mortals, and then we'll take our vengeance on your so-called family that foolishly thought they could keep us apart! And when I sit on the throne of Heaven, no one will be able to stand in our way! And you will finally have all the happiness you deserve!"

The chain that had been wrapped around his lower arm began to glow an eerie red, forming itself into a long, black snake that hissed as it began to slide off his arm. Slithering through the glass as if it were nothing but water, the snake moved slowly across the wooden floor, silent and venomous. Wrapping itself around Orihime's leg, it briefly tightened before sinking its long fangs into her ankle. Wincing in her sleep, Orihime let out a small whimper, but did not open her eyes as her body began to shiver. Recoiling, the snake vanished through the window, wrapping itself back around the man's arm before reforming into a chain.

He smiled. "It won't be long now. Wait for me." He said quietly before fading away, the sun beginning to streak the sky with color.

…

"Orihime? Hey are you awake in there? Wake up Orihime!"

Groaning, Orihime's eyes slowly opened, closing briefly in pain as sunlight flooded her vision. The banging of the door pounded in her ear heavily, the throbbing in her head beat in tandem. Yawning, Orihime peeled her eyes away from the hot, white light, the aftershock sending colors dancing across her eyesight.

"Come on Orihime! This isn't funny!" the voice behind the door called, louder and more insistent. Jolting upright, Orihime clumsily made her way to her feet as she bolted for the door. "S-sorry Tatsuki-chan! I'm coming! A-Ahhh!" Orihime cried as she lost her balance, pain radiating up her leg from her ankle as she fell to the floor with a hard thud.

Worried, Tatsuki burst through the door, sending the wooden panel tumbling to its doom with a hard kick. "Orihime, are you okay? I heard a loud crash!" she spoke, blinking in surprise as she'd expected to come face to face with her friend, only to see no one in front of her. "Hey! Where'd you go?"

"Eh heh… down here." Orihime spoke, laughing nervously, her hair wrapping around her messily, aqua colored pajamas disheveled from the fall and wrinkled from restless sleep.

Crouching down, Tatsuki offered her hand to her fallen friend. "Come on Orihime, we're late for school! I've been trying to wake you up for an hour! It's already nine AM! Don't tell me you're skipping just because you don't wanna confront Ichigo."

Staring blankly at the black haired girl, Orihime's eyes widened as panic set in. "Ahhh! I'm late!" she cried, flinging herself off the floor and throwing herself into the other room, dressing in her grey school uniform in record speed.

"Ouch!" Orihime whimpered, rubbing her ankle gingerly as she hopelessly tried to pull a sock over the wound. Breathing as the pain slowly ebbed, she eyed the mark she found there curiously. "How strange…" she breathed.

"What's wrong?" Tatsuki asked, poking her head into the room, moving quickly to Orihime's side at seeing the girl's look of distress.

"This marking…" Orihime said, "I don't even remember how I got it. I guess I must've fell and hit it on something."

Tensing, Tatsuki inspected it, a shiver running down her spine at the darkness she could feel radiating from it. _'This looks like…__but that's impossible__…why would he be here?__ Unless…__' _

Orihime shook Tatsuki's shoulder in alarm, the look on Tatsuki's face unnerving her. "H-hey… what's wrong Tatsuki-chan? It's just from a fall. You know me!" she tried laughing it off, but it did nothing to relieve Tatsuki's tension.

"Orihime… please promise me no matter what, you won't go anywhere alone for awhile alright?"

"But… but why? It's really not that serious!"

Tatsuki grabbed Orihime by the shoulders, Orihime taken aback by Tatsuki's intensity. "Just do it!" Tasuki screamed, more fiercely than she had intended, softening at Orihime's fearful look. "Please. For me."

Nodding, Orihime pulled away from her, lifting her school bag off the chair beside her. "I promise." she said, barely above a whisper.

Still uneasy, Tatsuki rose and walked out of the apartment, lost in thought, Orihime trailing behind her. They continued wordlessly as they rushed towards the school.

'_Hikoboshi__… I knew you'd return someday. I just never thought it would be this soon.'_Sighing sadly, Tatsuki threw a solemn glance in Orihime's direction. _'Looks like Orihime and Ichigo won't be able to meet in this life either…'_

…

The ten o'clock bell began to chime as Orihime burst through the school doors, breathless and panting. As she approached her classroom door, she stumbled to the ground, her ankle throbbing in pain as she limped on it, Tatsuki having disappeared somewhere after they'd gotten to the front door. Sighing in relief, Orihime rested with her back against the wall, chest heaving as her lungs flooded with oxygen. It was nearly lunch time and Orihime prayed that no one noticed her absence, hoping to sneak into class when it was over. A wave of exhaustion overcame her as she laid her head back, closing her eyes as dizziness set in.

'_Orihime…'_

The voice was distant and soft, as if she was hearing someone from underwater. Weakly opening her eyes, she stared out the window across the hall, into the bright sun. "Who's there?"

'_Come with__ me, Orihime.' _The voice started again as her vision began to blur with tears, her body suddenly too weak to move. Through the misty haze she could vaguely make out a black shadow figure behind the glass, hand outstretched to her as if beckoning. _'__Come with me my love. We'll leave this place, we'll be happy.'_

Orihime closed her eyes, unable to concentrate. "But where are we going…?"

'_Somewhere you will never have to suffer again.'_

Smiling softly, Orihime weakly lifted her arm, hand outstretched to meet the figure's. "Sure…I'll go anywhere with you… Kurosaki-kun…" she whispered.

Feeling the figure's hand close around her own, she gasped in pain as she felt the tightening pressure. _'What are you talking about? Orihime… please don't tell me… your heart has already been stolen? I've waited so long to see you again__…you… you've betrayed me again! Why would you betray me! Why am I never good enough for you?' _The voice roared angrily, Orihime crying out in pain, feeling her bones crushing under the strain of the grip. "But… Kurosaki-kun… I don't understand… my heart's always belonged to you… I would never betray you ever…."

'_Shut up!' _the voice screamed, blooming into full blown rage, _'You don't even remember me… how could you forget me Orihime? How could you forget your promise!'_

Feeling a hand clasp around her neck, Orihime struggled for breath, grabbing the arm that pinned her in place, her body still weak and fading fast. "Please…you're hurting me…" Reaching for the collar of her uniform, her heart sank as she realized she'd forgotten the Shun Shun Rikka in her earlier rush.

'_Why did you betray me?'_

'_**Inoue…Inoue wake up! Come back!'**_

"Kurosaki-kun… help me… I don't know what's happening…"

'_**Can you hear me Inoue? Wake up!'**_

'_I won't let him take you again!'_

"Kurosaki-kun… please don't leave me… help me..." she pleaded one last time before the void overcame her.

…

"Inoue… are you alright?"

Eyes slowly fluttering open, Orihime woke to a sea of pastel blue, settings she recognized as the school nurse's office. A soft glow illuminated the small space, the door ajar just enough to let light into the dim room, shades drawn tightly shut. To her left sat Ichigo, a soft look instantly sending her heart into a flurry. She swore that one day her heart would leap out of her chest and send her straight to her demise. It would be a death she'd never regret. "Kurosaki-kun..."

"I found you outside class, you were out cold. Sounded like you were having a nightmare."

Bolting upright, Orihime quickly scanned the room, memories rushing back to her, ignoring the protesting ache from her muscles. "Where is he…?"

Blinking in confusion, Ichigo stared at her, concern replacing the stoicism. "No one's here but us Inoue. You're safe."

"Oh… I guess I only dreamed it." She breathed, uncertainty tainting her words, shaking her head as if trying to erase. She wasn't sure what it all meant yet, but she didn't want Ichigo to worry for her, especially if it was only her wild imagination. Looking back at him, she gave Ichigo a gentle smile. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Yeah. Sure." Rising, Ichigo made for the door. "You gonna be okay?" he asked, reaching out a hand to help her up.

Orihime felt the heat rise in her cheeks, certain she was turning forty shades of scarlet, as the heat spread to her stomach, a spark of fire. "I…I uhm…" she stuttered, placing her hand shakily in his. "I th-think so." She finished, meekly, allowing him to pull her upright, praying he couldn't feel her nerves.

Satisfied, Ichigo nodded, pulling the door open. Orihime felt her stomach do a backflip, a lump forming in her throat. It was so rare she got to see him anymore- if she let him walk out the door… she feared he might forget her yet again, some irrational part of her morphing the door into a metaphor for her life. Such a trivial thing, yet so terrifying.

"Alright. Be careful, Inoue. Don't push yourself." Ichigo waved, turning away from her.

Panicked, Orhime's heart thundered in her chest as she grasped at something- anything!- that would be an excuse to keep him there in the moment. Frantically looking around the room, she noticed a stray ice pack left unattended on the counter when suddenly, it hit her- her injured ankle. Swallowing hard, Orihime faked a pained gasp as she threw herself on the floor, crying out a strangled "Ow!" as loud as she could muster, hopefully enough to where Ichigo could hear down the hall. She could instantly hear the urgent march of distinctly male footsteps making their way towards her, her heart leaping in knowing she'd succeeded.

'_I can't believe I'm doing this…' _Orihime scolded herself, the understanding of what she was doing finally sinking in. Moving to push herself off the floor, Orihime had no sooner decided it was a bad idea after all when Ichigo once again appeared in the doorway, rushing to her side. "Inoue? What's wrong?" he asked, grabbing her hand to help her up, allowing her to sit down on the bed.

Blush deepening, Orihime realized that it was too late to go back now. She might be afraid to be around him in personal situations, but the fear of looking like a fool in front of him was decidedly worse. "I- I forgot. I hurt my ankle earlier. I don't think I can walk," she lied, praying that it wouldn't be horribly obvious she could, given that she'd managed to get to school just fine.

Reaching for the abandoned ice pack on the counter, Ichigo gently pulled the sock down over her ankle, pressing plastic against tender skin, inhaling sharply as he ran his fingers over the puncture wound. "Inoue… how did this happen?"

Smile melting away, Orihime shrugged at him. "I… I'm not really sure. I woke up with it this morning. Tatsuki-chan seemed kinda worried about it though. It is kinda strange, I don't remember a thing about it."

Eyes hardening, Ichigo could feel the darkness flowing from the markings. A feeling of nausea overcame him as his own inner darkness, a part of himself he'd thought was lost and forgotten, began to claw away at his stomach. A part of himself that had saved his life and his loved ones lives many times, a part he had been thankful for but hadn't been sad when it vanished in the Final Getsuga. It was instinct, primal and raw, as Ichigo ripped his hand away, Orihime leaning forward to put her hand on his arm, her voice noticeably scared. "Kurosaki-kun… you're so pale… what's wrong?"

Shaking, Ichigo shook his head, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. Turning to her, he flashed her his famous cocky smile, though it did not instill her with confidence as it would have in the past. It only served to tighten the knot of worry further as it was unlike Ichigo to be this visibly distressed. "Yeah. It's nothing. I'll walk you home."

Moment forgotten, the blush returned in all its glory, Orihime's face lighting up like a stop signal. "Eh…heh heh that's okay, really, you don't have to- EEK" she fumbled, a squeak escaping as Ichigo lifted her into his arms.

Orihime's heart stopped dead, momentarily forgetting what air was and that it was vital to living. She could hear Ichigo's heartbeat, feel the warmth of his skin… she couldn't even remember what had been so urgent, only how wonderful and safe and protected she felt in his embrace. Orihime leaned into him, her head resting on his chest, nerves dormant as she watched the sunset, other students walking home beside them. Closing her eyes, she smiled, thanking whatever deity was out there for giving her at least this one moment with him.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

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Please review and let me know what you think! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note – **Wow! I didn't expect such a positive reception to this story, thank you so much everyone! I hope I can continue to make this enjoyable for all of you! Thanks for so many nice reviews!

And thank you so much to everyone who read, followed, or favorited! :)

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_**Chapter Two **__– "Evil Omen, the Blood Red Moon Shines"_

"Hey. Inoue. Wake up, we're here now."

Moaning lightly, Orihime stirred in Ichigo's arms, clutching tightly to the fabric of his white cotton shirt. Burying her face in his chest to protest, she held on tighter everytime he tried to shake her. "Nngg… but I was having such a good dream… five more minutes Tatsuki-chan… I swear I won't burn the cookies anymore…NO NO NO Tatsuki-chan the jelly beans go IN the batter…" she trailed off, twitching as snoring quickly replaced the mumbling.

Sighing in defeat, Ichigo held her with one arm as he fished around in her school bag, hand clasping around a long, black string with a silver key tied at the end. Victorious, he removed it and unlocked her door, gently placing her sleeping form on the dark blue couch in the living room next to the table.

Or so he tried.

It was embarrassing really. A freakishly powerful hybrid of just about every type of spiritual being under the sun and yet a delicate girl had managed to down him in three seconds flat. Thank kamisama that no one was around… especially Renji. And Kenpachi. And Byakuya. And Ishida. And Rukia. _Especially _Rukia. Oh god he could hear her roaring laughter in his head right now. She'd never let him live it down.

Twin dragons of shame and embarrassment danced in his stomach as Ichigo looked up from the wood floor, rubbing his head tenderly where it had contacted the floor. Looking over he could see Orihime, still dead to the world, snoring as if her life depended on it. Ichigo began to feel a slight throbbing where her hand was glued to his wrist, a tingling sensation developing in his hand where the circulation cut off. Twisting to try and remove his hand, he bent and pulled every way possible, even in ways he didn't know he could bend, but it ultimately proved fruitless. Everytime he pulled, Orihime only increased her grip. For such a fragile statured girl, her grip was iron-clad. Maybe that stuff about her being a black-belt wasn't that farfetched after all.

Groaning, Ichigo stood and pulled the grey blanket draped on the back of the couch over her body, then sat down on the floor beside her, defeated, anything short violence being unable to free him. Scanning the room, his eyes landed on a pair of small glittering objects laying on the edge of the table. Reaching forward, he grabbed them and turned them over in his hand, realizing they were actually the Shun Shun Rikka.

Turning back to her, Ichigo reached for the collar of her uniform, pinning the hairpins in place, a curious knot of worry developing in his stomach as he wondered what trouble she could've been in if she'd been attacked. He wasn't sure why he was even anxious about it, Orihime had proven battle capable on a number of occasions. But what worried him more was that very same strength. It had made her a target more than a few times, as did her association with him. What if the next time… was the last time? He didn't even want to think about it.

Laying back, Ichigo rested his head against the front of the middle couch cushion, his eyes landing on her face. He watched her for a few moments, her snoring quieted, her face peaceful as she slept. And in that moment, he felt as if the air around them had changed, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks, enough to cause his breath to hitch in his throat. He'd never bothered to notice before… they'd barely gotten to spend time together anymore. Gone was the silly, carefree, naive girl he'd known since childhood and in her place was this beautiful, strong woman instead. Ichigo could feel the heat rising in his cheeks as he watched her, unable to tear his eyes away. Her ivory skin looked so soft and smooth, a light red blush tinting her cheeks… the way her bright orange hair spilled delicately over the pillow and over her face, giving her skin a slight glow… her pale pink lips parting and closing with every breath…

Shaking his head fiercely, Ichigo shook himself out of the thought, annoyed with himself.

'_What the hell was that about?' _he admonished himself internally, _'I don't need this.'_

But glancing at her again, he wondered how true that really was. Before he'd just been some young kid who'd wanted nothing more than to survive high school and protect the people he cared about. He'd had no need for romance or intimacy, hell, truthfully he wasn't even sure how it those things felt. It had simply never been important to him nor did they ever occur to him. But now that their enemies had vanished and they'd all gone their own way, he'd begun to feel the void, like something was missing. He'd always been surrounded by friends and family, and that had been good enough. It wasn't until he'd seen Orihime lying in pain on the school hallway floor that he realized just how much he'd come to miss her.

Sighing, the annoyance melted away as it gave way to a feeling of foolishness. He'd been friends with Orihime ever since the day her brother died, and they'd grown close over their time together. But why would she ever feel that way about him? Why would anyone? Why _should _anyone?

Closing his eyes, Ichigo shoved the thoughts out with a forceful thrust, balling his hand into a fist and lightly pounded the ground next to him.

"You're a fool," he whispered to himself, sleep coercing him into unconsciousness.

…

Everything was waves and darkness.

It was the sound of the restless ocean waters that awoke Orihime from sleep. Opening her eyes, she found herself standing waist deep in water, dressed in a white, silk strapless dress that fell to her knees, the tip of the skirt becoming soaked in the water below. Everything was shrouded in a thin veil of mist, swirling and dancing around her in the warm breeze, tiny grains of white sand from the empty beach behind her intertwining with the mist. The only light was the blood red full moon overhead, casting everything in an eerie crimson light. With a start, she realized she recognized the surroundings as Huedo Mundo.

Cupping her hands over her mouth, Orihime looked around for any signs of life. "Kurosaki-kun?" she shouted, the sound echoing in the blank air, her only answer the sound of her own voice.

"We meet again at last, my Princess."

Whirling, Orihime turned to face the sands, a black, shadow figure manifesting in the distance, the wind beginning to turn damp and cold. "Who are you?" she asked, unconsciously stepping backward at his approach. "You're that voice from earlier…"

"You still don't know who I am?" the figure asked, stopping when he reached the edge of the water.

He'd been livid with her earlier for not recognizing him. Orihime swallowed hard, wondering if that same anger would resurface now. As strong as she'd become, his power earlier had been overwhelming. "Show yourself!" she screamed, steadying her voice, determined to get the upper hand this time.

"As you wish," the figure muttered, amused at the brave front she was putting up. Stepping forward into the water, he stopped in front of her, the darkness still covering most of his face, the clouds overhead covering the moon. Steeling herself, Orihime moved forward to meet him, until she was only inches from him. Trembling, she reached up to part the hair in front of his face, when the wind picked up around them, her hair flowing with it and tangling with his own. The clouds began to dissipate in the wind, when the moonlight finally struck his face.

It was all it took for the world around her to stop spinning.

Letting out a thin scream, Orihime ripped her hand away from his face as if she'd been burned by flame. Breathing heavily, she wrapped her arms around herself, the tremble easing into shaking. "You're… you're…"

He stood there watching her carefully, his expression calm, betraying nothing. His long, midnight blue hair shone in the red moonlight, nearly as long as her own hair, which was spiked at the top of his head. His skin was a pale, chalky white, covering his thickly muscled body, which was wrapped in a black leather trench coat, with one sleeve ripped off, a pair of gloves, and boots. A black chain twisted around the bare arm, curling around his biceps, ending at the wrist where it came together in a shackle. Only one eye was showing, a bright, almost neon gold, the sclera a deep black. A shiver ran down Orihime's spine, recognizing that they were far too similar to Ichigo's Hollow eyes. The right side of his face made her physically ill- plastered to his face was half of a cracked and shattered Hollow's mask, which looked ordinary, except for the large snake fang protruding from the mouth and the scales that decorated it above the eyebrow.

"No… no… get away!" she screamed, the ocean waters beginning to stir around them. The onslaught of memories was too much- images of her Hollowfied brother and Ichigo fighting for her in Hueco Mundo began to plague her, replaying over and over like a horrifying carousel in her mind. Covering her head with her arms, the tears began to fall, getting lost in the sea below. "I don't want this… please…" she whimpered, peering at the Hollow with blurry eyes.

"Kurosaki-kun… where are you…?" she whispered, the waves pulling her under.

…

"Hey… Inoue! Come on! Snap out of it!"

"Kurosaki-kun… where are you…."

"I'm right here, you're fine!" Ichigo began shaking her as Orihime thrashed about on the couch, throwing the blanket to the ground. Alarm flooded through his body as she began to cry, pushing and pulling against him as he tried to hold her down, shaking her head while she continued to call out for him.

"It's just a nightmare! Damn it, Inoue, come back!" he said, a hint of desperation crawling into his voice.

'_This is the third time I've seen her like this, what the hell is going on?'_

But no matter how much he shook or pleaded with her, it never seemed to be enough. His blood turned to ice when she suddenly stopped thrashing, gasping for air and coughing, water flooding out of her mouth. On the verge of panic, he pulled her into his embrace, unaware of the hot tears that had gathered in his eyes that began to spill over. Gluing his eyes shut, he held her tightly, her body heaving in the fight for oxygen. He'd never felt so powerless in his life, ever since the day his mother died.

Since then, he had vowed to do whatever it took to protect the people he loved. It didn't matter what it took- even if it was his own life. As long as they were safe, it didn't matter. Even when things had seemed the most hopeless, he never gave up, no matter how strong the enemy.

But how the hell was he supposed to fight an enemy he couldn't see? He briefly considered taking her to the clinic or the hospital, but it was all the way on the other side of town and Orihime was fading, fast- she didn't have that kind of time. Defeated, Ichigo held onto her tightly, helplessly. For the first time since he'd become a Shinigami Daikou, here was something that swords and fighting and all the spiritual powers in the world couldn't solve.

Holding onto her for dear life, he buried his face in her hair, and Kurosaki Ichigo did something he had never considered since the day his mother died.

He prayed. To everything and nothing.

'_Please… not again.'_

…

'_Where am I…why is it so dark…where is everyone…' _Orihime wondered to herself. Floating in the sea of water, she was paralyzed, her lungs feeling as if they were about to burst, her body heavy and stone-like. She could see the waves moving above her, the glassy image of the red moon distorted, the hollow had long since vanished from sight.

'_Am I…dead?' _she questioned, feeling the sadness welling up inside her, tears trapped within by the surrounding water. She began to see the blackness closing in at the edge of her vision, her eyes closing on their own.

'_I'm so sorry…Kurosaki-kun…guess I wasn't strong enough after all.'_

Closing her eyes completely, Orihime felt herself slipping under, consciousness quickly deteriorating.

'_See you soon Onii-chan…' _she amended before fully letting go.

The last thing she felt was a hand gripping her arm before pulling her upward.

…

He wasn't sure how much time had passed- every minute seemed like a day, as if the earth had been thrown off its axis. It had been nearly ten minutes since Orihime ceased breathing. Ichigo only continued to hold her, numb, blank. For the second time in his life, he'd lost someone precious to him. The first time it had hardened his resolve- he swore he'd never let it happen again. But this time… this time he felt as if he would break.

"I'm sorry Inoue… I wasn't strong enough to protect you…"

He'd faced some of the most powerful spiritual beings in existence, not only surviving but defeating them as well. But the pain of those battle scars were nothing compared to this. Glancing at her face, her skin had gone completely pale, her lips a shade of light blue. It was clear she was gone, and yet even feeling her still form, he could not bring himself to believe she was really no longer there.

"Please… do not despair, my son."

Crashing back to reality, Ichigo's head snapped up, and what he saw, took his own breath away. "M- Mother…" he said, in shock.

"Everything's going to be alright now. Remember to keep smiling," Masaki said gently, leaning forward to wipe away his tears before vanishing into the night air.

Before he could react, Ichigo felt a stirring in his arms, and with a start realized that Orihime was still alive. "K…Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime managed weakly, her eyes opening slowly. "Where am I?"

Inhaling a sharp breath, Ichigo only held her, unaware that he'd begun shaking. "You're home, in your apartment."

"Oh…" she whispered quietly, concerned at how upset he seemed.

'_He was worried about me…' _A blush sparked in her cheeks, snapping her instantly awake. It rapidly spread to a wildfire upon realizing that she was securely in his embrace. "Uhm…" she mumbled, her heart racing, unsure what to really say, scared that the moment might end and that they'd never be this close again.

Pulling back to look at her, understanding quickly set in for Ichigo as well. He fumbled awkwardly as he looked away, anywhere but straight into her eyes. "I uh… well I'm glad you're okay now," he said, at a loss for anything else.

"H-hey! I'm fine Kurosaki-kun, really!" she quipped, leaping up while flailing her arms and poking her body to show she was uninjured.

"Yeah," Ichigo said quietly, unamused by the show. "Actually, Inoue…"

"Hm?" she blinked.

"If it's alright with you, I think I'm gonna stay here for the night."

Eyes wide, the arm flailing hastened its pace. "B-but that's alright Kurosaki-kun, don't trouble yourself over me really, y-you don't have to st-stay here I'll be fine!" At his vacant look, she instantly amended herself, fully comprehending what she just implied. "Er… I mean, of course I'd love to have you stay, b-but really you shouldn't trouble yourself over me!" she finished, flinging her arm behind her head and laughing nervously.

'_Orihime… please promise me no matter what, you won't go anywhere alone for awhile alright?' _

Her legs felt heavy and liquid, the fact that she was going to ask the boy she'd been in love with for years to sleep over at her apartment slowly registering. "Er… w-well, if you really want to, I guess that's okay t-too!" Orihime finished in a blurred rush of words.

Nodding wordlessly, Ichigo took one of the pillows from the couch, placing it behind his head while laying back. "Yeah. Thanks," he said, while closing his eyes, the troubled look still evident.

Looking around her apartment, Orihime hastily searched for something, anything, that would take her friend's mind off things, when her eyes landed on the refrigerator. "Uhm…oh h-hey! I know! I just made this reallllyyyyyy super yummy cheesecake last night! Would you like a piece?" she beamed proudly.

"Sure… sounds great."

Rushing over to the kitchen, Orihime reached into the fridge for her victory cake, slightly nervous as she'd never had the opportunity to bake for the object of her affection before. Cutting them each a slice, she quickly replaced the cake in the fridge, grabbed a pair of forks and carried the plates back over to the table. Completely nerve wracked, the silverware clacked against porcelain as she set one plate down, before thrusting the other at Ichigo. "I…I hope you like it!"

Accepting the plate from Orihime's shaking hands, Ichigo inspected the cake carefully. "Looks good. What kind?" he asked nonchalantly, scraping a bite onto his fork and popping it into his mouth.

"It's my special white chocolate, bean curd, and tofu cheesecake with strawberry mint topping!"

Eyes snapping open, Ichigo ceased chewing briefly, but not before looking over at Orihime, who flashed a hopeful smile in his direction, hands balled in front of her mouth in excitement. "Good, right?" she asked cheerfully.

Unable to bear hurting her feelings, Ichigo dutifully chewed, to which he actually discovered it really wasn't that bad after all, shoving another bite into his mouth. "Not too bad, actually."

Glowing with delight, Orihime picked up her own piece off the table, nearly ready to faint in happiness. _'Kurosaki-kun… is staying at night in *my* apartment, eating *my* special cheesecake! And he actually likes it! This has to be some kind of awesome dream!'_

"Oi, Inoue…"

"Wha?" she asked, mouth full, smile falling when she noted Ichigo's serious look. "What's wrong?"

"What just happened a bit ago?"

"N-Nothing," she replied, sounding shaky, "Just a nightmare, that's all."

"Inoue…" he said, setting his empty plate aside, "Whatever was happening to you in your dream was happening to you here."

"O-Oh…" she said while turning away, unable to meet his gaze. This had been the last thing Orihime ever wanted- to cause him unnecessary worry, to be so helpless she had to rely on him, to put him in more potential danger.

Placing his hand on her shoulder, Ichigo squeezed gently, a tone of urgency entering his voice. "Please, Inoue. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Swallowing hard, Orihime still couldn't bring her eyes to meet his own. "There's…there's this figure I've been seeing, ever since last night. He keeps asking me to go with him and calling me his Princess. He also asks me to remember him, but I just can't, and he becomes upset with me. He… he had a Hollow's mask. And it only happens in these dreams."

"And you're sure you've never seen him before?" Ichigo asked, his blood running cold. He didn't like the sound of this at all.

Shaking her head, Orihime stared at the carpet below her, fixated on its pattern. "I haven't."

"Let's go to Urahara-san's shop tomorrow. He'll help us figure it out," he said, trying to ease her mind, though it did nothing to ease his own, feeling her tremble slightly under his touch. He wanted to know more, but something about the girl always managed to soften him, and he didn't want to worry her until they got some concrete answers.

Giving him a small smile, Orihime turned back to Ichigo and nodded. "Yeah…okay…"

Returning her smile with a reassuring one of his own, Ichigo repositioned himself on the couch, closing his eyes. "Goodnight, Inoue."

Clearing the plates to the sink, Orihime crossed the living room and turned the lights out. But instead of heading for her bed, she did something she never thought she was capable of.

Pulling the same grey blanket that had been covering her earlier off the floor, she draped it over Ichigo's body, breathless at how amazing he was, even when he was asleep. Unable to help herself, she sat on the floor next to him, reaching for his hand. His presence always made her feel so warm and safe. When she didn't feel him pull away, she laced her fingers with his own, squeezing gently as she rested her head on her other arm. Drifting off to sleep, she thought she could feel him squeezing back.

And for the first time that day, Inoue Orihime slept dreamlessly.

…

Hours later, a loud thumping on the roof woke Ichigo from sound sleep. Every sense on edge, his hand instantly went to his Daikou badge, forcing his soul form from his body as he scanned the room for any movement, Orihime still sound asleep by the couch. He would take no chances if whatever was attacking her had come back to finish what it started.

Releasing Zangetsu from its sheath, he moved through the window, his shihakusho fluttering in the wind, startled by the bloody color the moon had taken on.

Hearing another crash from the roof behind him, Ichigo whirled around, but still saw no one. Gripping Zangetsu firmly, his muscles itching to pounce, he caught sight of a black figure moving at the edge of his vision. But when he turned to look at it, it was no longer in sight.

"Who the hell are you! Show yourself!" Ichigo screamed, frustration setting in.

"As you wish…" deadpanned a female voice, before Ichigo found himself knocked off balance, tumbling towards the ground.

Laughing, the female landed beside him, resheathing her zanpaktou. "It's only been a couple months and your reflexes already suck."

Ichigo groaned, he would recognize that voice anywhere. Rising from the ground, he whirled on her, face red with anger. "What the hell are you doing you idiot! I could've killed you!"

Raising an eyebrow, Rukia smirked at him. "Nice to see you too."

Annoyed, Ichigo resheathed Zangetsu, stepping forward to meet her. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Sighing, Rukia crossed her arms, her face completely serious, eyes carrying a mischievous gleam. "I'm on a mission obviously. What? Did you think I actually came to visit you or something?"

"Yeah yeah," he said, rolling his eyes, "So what kind of mission?"

The humor in her eyes disappearing, Rukia pointed to the moon above them. "We've been receiving reports of increased Hollow activity in the area. We also fear that a particularly powerful and deadly Hollow may be increasing its power and be released soon. But there's little to almost no information on it, it was sealed away thousands of years ago. Unfortunately all we can do is wait. Soutaichou said that the blood red full moon is the first sign of its awakening. Word is that the Spirit King himself has ordered this mission. It must be incredibly serious for the King to become involved in Soul Society affairs."

"A Hollow?" Ichigo asked, all traces of previous annoyance having vanished, "Inoue's been having nightmares about a Hollow and has come under attack by it more than once. She claims they're just nightmares, but I saw the attack happening to her while she slept. We were heading to Urahara's tomorrow to try and get some answers."

Looking worried, Rukia looked up to the apartment window above where Orihime was still sound asleep. "We must keep a close eye on her then."

Turning back to Ichigo, Rukia noted the worried look on his face as he stared at the window above. "She really loves you, you know."

Eyes wide, Ichigo instantly flushed shades red, grabbing Rukia by the collar of her shihakusho. "What the hell are you going on about? It's not like that with her and me!"

"Oh please. Everyone in the real world and Soul Society knows it except you. And you two looked awful cozy in there."

"I'm telling you, it's not!" Ichigo huffed indignantly, prompting Rukia to pull out her sketchpad.

Grabbing a marker from thin air, Rukia began to draw two bunnies, one kissing the other, flashy hearts surrounding them. "See, let Chappy explain-…"

Looking less than amused, he released her. "Your drawings *still* suck- OW!" he yelped when Rukia pinched him. "You idiot, what was that for?"

"Pay attention!" she yelled, whacking her marker against the paper. "See, when this Chappy has warm fuzzy feelings for this Chappy they- what the hell are you laughing at jackass?"

"Oh nothing, nothing. Just never thought I'd be getting the sex talk from you. Gotta say, I really don't get it."

"If you say you don't get where babies come from, I'm *going* to hurt you." Rukia said flatly, hitting Ichigo upside the head with the pad.

Continuing their bickering, neither Shinigami noticed Orihime's awakening or that she was watching them from the window above.

"Kuchiki-san…"

* * *

Alright, well I hope this was okay. I am sorry if the plot is a bit slow to get under way, I just want to be careful to establish things and make not only Ichigo and Orihime's falling in love realistic, but also how her seeds of doubt come to be planted.

I also hope my characterizations were okay, please let me know if you think they aren't, it really does help me a bunch! Thank you so much everyone! ^_^

Please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note – **Hey everyone, thanks again for all the nice reviews! I'm sorry this one is a bit late, I've been wrapped up in some personal issues. I'm might try to start updating this story on a schedule, maybe every Friday or so. Another author I follow does it and it seems to work very well for her. This chapter ended up pretty long so I hope that makes up for it! I'm behind on responding to reviews, but I promise I didn't forget and I will respond shortly! ^_^

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed or favorited! And thanks for reading!

* * *

_**Chapter Three – **__"Ichigo in Denial? The Transfer Student Aims at the Weaver Princess's Heart"_

Ten minutes and twenty colorful Chappy drawings later, Ichigo found himself sitting on the ground, an entire notepad full of Rukia's passionate artwork sitting in his lap. Truthfully he'd rather have been figuring out where that Hollow was and if it was connected to Orihime's attacker. Staring down at the overly sugar sweet bunnies and rows of pink hearts, he decided he mind as well have been looking at something from a different planet. Rukia touted it as her best work ever, telling him to keep it close to him at all times in case there was an emergency with Inoue. And she wouldn't take no for an answer. "Are we done yet? Don't we have more important things to discuss? Like that Hollow?" he moaned.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Rukia once again whacked him upside the head. "Shut it, this *is* important."

"When the hell did you get so interested in my love life anyway?"

Standing up and crossing her arms, Rukia leaned forward to look him dead in the eyes. "Don't you want to be happy Ichigo?"

Unnerved, Ichigo looked away from her. "I have more important things to think about, like keeping her safe."

Rolling her eyes, Rukia grabbed his chin and forcefully turned his head back to face her. "Idiot. Doesn't that say anything to you? The fact that her safety is so important to you you're putting it above everything else? This isn't the first time either."

Doing anything to avoid her stare, Ichigo looked at the ground beside him, wondering why the blades of grass were suddenly so interesting.

When he didn't answer, she moved in front of him, softening slightly. "You carry a heavy burden Ichigo. I know you think your only place in life is to protect others and that you can't ever fail that. I know how important it is for you. But is that all that really matters to you?"

Kneeling, Rukia placed her hand on his and gently squeezed. "You're always so concerned with making sure everyone else is okay. But what about you? Doesn't your happiness matter too? You saved my life, and you saved hers, hell, you've saved all of us at one point and thousands more. Isn't it about time you let someone save you instead?"

Feeling as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the air around them, Ichigo felt as though he might drown, so many foreign feelings washing over him like muddy waves, every one causing him to panic more than the last. He continued to avoid her eyes, wanting nothing more than to escape the lingering questions there. Desperate for a change of subject, he noticed a small glittering object secure around her finger. Raising an eyebrow, he felt strong enough to meet her gaze again. "What's that?"

Blinking in surprise, Rukia stared at him. "What's what?"

"That ring on your finger."

Eyes widening and face paling, Rukia ripped her hand away from his, bringing it to her chest as crimson replaced white in her cheeks. "It… it's from Renji. We're engaged."

Eyebrow arcing even higher, Ichigo gave her a sly, mocking smile. "What the hell did I miss when I was gone all that time?"

Blushing even deeper, Rukia turned away from him. "After you lost your powers I… was having some attachment issues from the real world and Renji confessed how he felt. I realized how far apart we'd grown, that I had been lying to myself, and that the one I missed the most wasn't the one I expected. I believe his exact words were 'I need to do this before that bastard does.'"

The other eyebrow quickly raised, a look of confusion painting his face, subconsciously pointing to himself. "By bastard he meant…?"

Swallowing hard, Rukia stared up at the sky, the red light from the moon hiding her flushed cheeks. "He was talking about you."

It was Ichigo's turn to blush as he frantically leaned away from her, waving his hands and shaking his head. "No way! Like that'd ever happen! He's crazy!"

"Yeah… pretty crazy…" Rukia said softly, sighing.

Confused, Ichigo watched her quietly, seeing something flash in her eyes. Longing? Regret? Determination? "Rukia…"

Tilting her head back, Rukia closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's fine," she said. Before he could react, she moved to punch him in the head. "If you ever make me get like that again I'm gonna kick your ass."

Groaning and rubbing the place where her fist collided, Ichigo turned back to her. "So how are you guys not dead yet? I thought Byakuya would've objected by now."

Cringing, Rukia shrugged. "We haven't told him yet."

"Good plan. So where is Renji anyway?"

Rukia smirked. "He's staying at Urahara's. I'm sure Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai are sufficiently torturing him by now."

"And what about you? Where are you staying?" Ichigo asked, cautiously.

Crossing her arms, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Where I always stay when I'm here," she said as if stating an overly obvious fact.

"Oh no, no you don't! You can't stay there, I mean it!"

"But where else am I supposed to go?" Rukia asked softly, twisting her lips into a less than genuine pout.

"Why? Why me? Why don't you stay with Renji?"

Huffing out a sigh, Rukia shook her head. "Are you kidding? I'll never get any rest, they'll never stop coming up with chores! A girl needs her beauty rest!"

"Wow, what a wonderful fiancé you are. Lazy ass. And don't even get me started on that last part- OW!" Ichigo bit out, ending with a yelp as Rukia kicked his shin.

"Shut it fool. You'd do well to watch your next words carefully. Now, back to our *original* conversation, you need to ask Inoue out, and you need to do it soon."

"I already told you, it's not like that," Ichigo said, nearly emotionless.

"So freaking- ugh I can't even," Rukia said, exasperated, throwing her hands in the air. "You've got to be the thickest headed idiot I've ever met! You don't honestly expect her to wait forever do you? When are you going to realize this hm? When it's too late and she moves on with someone else? Why are you so stupid-"

"Shut up!" Ichigo growled, voice low and dangerous now. "What the hell do you know anyway? You think it's so easy, everything's so obvious to you? I've never had a girl love me that way, and if Inoue really felt that way she would've said something by now! Even if she did, it just can't happen! Our being friends already puts her in danger, if we were more, who knows who'd try to come after her just in an attempt to harm me! I won't put her in that position, I won't!"

Rukia, taken aback by his sudden passionate fury, stepped unconsciously back from him a couple steps. "Ichigo…"

She watched as tears of frustration welled up in his eyes, hardening with resolve. And for the first time since she'd known him, she saw how much of a burden his powers were for him. They'd given him the power to protect, but at what cost?

"I can't lose her Rukia…"

…

Inside, Orihime sat nestled underneath the window, long since having stopped watching Ichigo and Rukia. Wrapping her arms around herself in an effort to stop the shaking, she sat staring into the darkened room, wiping at the stubborn tears in her eyes with her hand.

"I'm so stupid…of course he'd see her again," she whispered miserably into the room. Biting her lip in an effort to stop the crying she realized just how far she'd gotten her hopes up. With the end of the fighting, she'd thought maybe she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore, that Rukia would stay in Soul Society and her and Ichigo wouldn't need to contact each other again. There was a small, dark corner of her heart that had rejoiced at the idea and thought maybe with Rukia out of the picture, Ichigo would finally see her.

It disgusted her. Orihime thought she'd escaped and come to terms with these feelings long ago and cemented them away when Ichigo had come for her in Hueco Mundo. For the first time, she'd been able to see just how much Ichigo cared for her and was willing to risk everything for her, same as he had for Rukia.

"I was just fooling myself. I'm his close friend, so of course he came for me. But that's all I'll ever be…he'd do the same for any of us…"

Bringing her knees to her chest, Orihime buried her face in her arms, tears flowing freely, dampening her grey uniform jacket. The myriad of emotions poured out in the salty liquid, shame, disgust, embarrassment, sadness…

'_Things are fine just the way they are, for both you and Kuchiki. Ichigo is still a kid who can't stand up on his own, so right now that kid needs both you and Kuchiki. What's so bad about being jealous? That's a difficult thing to accept, let alone stop.'_

"Rangiku-san… I wish you were here with me in this situation…" Orihime said quietly, looking up at the moon, her tears sparkling in the eerie light. "I don't know what to do…"

'_**My beautiful Princess… that boy doesn't care about you.'**_

"Wha…what?" Orihime asked, body suddenly cold, the pain in her ankle renewing itself. She thought the voice had disappeared after the attack, her heart sinking into her stomach.

'_**He doesn't care about you. Look at him, he's down there with that girl instead of up here making sure you're safe, leaving you unguarded.'**_

"That's… that isn't true. Kurosaki-kun transformed because he thought there was another threat," she said shakily, unsure of her own certainty.

'_**Don't be a fool. Look at them, look how close they are, how close they've always been. She gave him his power, he needs her. She's always the one to renew his faith, surely you notice how much better she makes him. And what do you do for him?'**_

"What do I do for him…?" Orihime asked, slowly and quietly. It was a question she'd pondered many times, many sleepless nights and daydreams that ate away at her heart constantly.

'_**You slave away, constantly, trying so hard to win his heart, but you can't because it's already gone. He doesn't notice, he doesn't care, he doesn't care what you sacrifice for him. He doesn't care that you suffer in silence everyday because he won't notice or return your feelings. You deserve so much better my love. Someone who will love you, and keep you safe, someone who's heart you will always hold and never have to compete for.'**_

Orihime wanted to believe, and on the surface, she knew the voice made sense in a twisted kind of way. It was true- Rukia was constantly Ichigo's rock. She been the one to give him the power to fight, the power to pick himself up, and knock sense into him with little to no effort. It didn't take a crystal ball to see that the bond between them was strong and something not easily broken.

And what had she done for him? Always the damsel in distress who needed rescuing, never powerful enough to stand on her own. Even when she'd willingly gone to Las Noches in an attempt to save her friends lives, his life, it'd been him saving her in the end. It was always her putting him in needless danger.

Yet, all that didn't faze him. He'd still kept her by his side, he still kept her as a friend, he still cared about her. If she truly did nothing for him, was nothing to him, wouldn't he have pushed her aside by now? Wouldn't he have left her to die?

Orihime instantly felt nauseated, ashamed. As much as it seemed bad on the surface, she knew Ichigo was just not like that. When he said something, he meant it. When he promised something, there was nothing that would stop him from following through, not even death. If he didn't care, he wouldn't be here and it was that simple.

"You're wrong," Orihime whispered.

'…_**What?'**_

"I said you're wrong," she repeated, this time more firmly. "It's true. Kuchiki-san is very important to Kurosaki-kun. But I…"

'_Ichigo is still a kid who can't stand up on his own, so right now that kid needs both you and Kuchiki.'_

"Kuchiki-san is really pretty, and kind, and amazing, and it's true, Kurosaki-kun looks to her a lot. She even took it upon herself to train me when I was going to get left behind, Kuchiki-san is a really good, caring person. So what if she gave him his power… I'm grateful to her for putting the smile back on his face, for helping him all the time. Maybe I can't do the same, but Kurosaki-kun is better and that's all that matters. As long as he's happy, even if it's with her, I can be okay. She deserves to be happy too. Even just being part of his life, it's more than I ever could've hoped for, more than I have ever deserved. As long as I can be by his side somehow, I'll be okay."

'_**Why… why do you insist on defending him?!'**_

"Because…because I…" Orihime said, on the verge of tears. "I love him! I'm in love with Kurosaki-kun!" she shouted, crushing the inner voice, breathing heavily as she waited for it to return. After several minutes, when there was only silence, Orihime wiped the tears off her cheeks and stood, grabbing the Shun Shun Rikka from her collar.

"Soten Kisshun," she said as the hairpins came apart, the familiar fairies dancing around her, Ayame and Shun'ou covering her ankle with the golden shield.

Noticing her visible distress, Shun'ou stared up at Orihime worriedly as he healed her ankle. "Are you alright?"

Before she could answer, a small black blur rushed at her, latching onto her hair and pulling. "She'll get over it," Tsubaki quipped, causing Orihime to cry out as he pulled harder.

Shun'ou frowned up at him. "Oi, Tsubaki, leave her alone, can't you tell something happened here?"

"Stupid girl should've called us sooner then," Tsubaki continued, releasing his hold on her hair, giving a small kick to the side of her head.

Rubbing the place where Tsubaki pulled her hair, Orihime stared down at the floor, unable to look at them. "I… I'm sorry."

Giving her a reassuring smile, he broke the shield with Ayame, flying up to meet her eyes. "At least you're okay now right?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Good. But please, call us if you're in trouble next time, okay Orihime-san?" Shun'ou finished, the fairies whirling around and reforming themselves back in their hairpin form. Clipping them back onto her collar, Orihime made for her apartment door, climbing down the stairs to the street below where Ichigo and Rukia stood in silence, watching the moon.

"Uhm… hi Kuchiki-san… it's really nice to see you again."

Surprised, Rukia turned around to greet her friend, briefly stealing a glance at Ichigo, who's vacant expression betrayed nothing, staring off into the sky. Sighing in defeat, she looked back at Orihime. "Hey Inoue. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm great!" Orihime chirped, beaming at the other girl and wrapping her in a tight hug. Surprised, Rukia wrapped her arms carefully around the red head, patting her awkwardly on the back at the sudden display of affection. "I'm glad."

Releasing her, Orihime's smile faded as she looked up at the moon above, noticing its bloody color for the first time. "That's…"

"What? What is it Inoue?"

Orihime began to tremble unconsciously. "That's the same moon in my dream…"

Worried, Rukia put her hand on Orihime's arm, squeezing gently. Ichigo stared back at them, going completely still as his body stiffened like stone. "You're absolutely sure?" Rukia asked, meeting Orihime's grey eyes, searching them.

"Mhm… it's the same… when that Hollow took me to that place, where he attacked me."

Inhaling sharply, Rukia grabbed both of Orihime's arms this time, her tone icy and serious. "This Hollow that attacked you, can you describe him? I want all of the details."

As Orihime related the description to her, Ichigo stared at Orihime, shock setting in, blood freezing over. Why did her description sound so familiar? A dark ache began to claw at his heart, dread filling the wound. He needed an answer, soon, and prayed to whatever god was out there that this wasn't what he hoped. Sharing another look with Rukia, he could tell by her solemn expression she was thinking the same thing he was.

As soon as Orihime finished, Rukia turned back to face Ichigo. "Ichigo…"

Shaking his head, his dark brown eyes met her azure ones, leaving no room for argument. "I think you should stay with Inoue tonight."

Shooting him an annoyed look, Rukia gave Orihime a brief, nervous smile. "Would you excuse us for one second Inoue?" she asked, before grabbing Ichigo forcefully by his sleeve and pulling him around the corner.

Confused, Orihime stood, unsure of what to do or say, a tiny part of her dreading the fact the pair was going to be alone and she was uninvited. "Oh… okay."

Once they cleared the corner, Rukia spun on Ichigo angrily. "What are you doing?"

"I can't stay with her."

"And why not?"

"If this is what I think it is, it'll be too dangerous for me to be around her. I won't take that chance."

Glaring at him, Rukia crossed her arms. "You're being ridiculous. You don't know that's for sure the case, we barely have any information on this. Why don't you wait until we actually have some answers before you start jumping to conclusions?"

"You're really annoying you know that?"

"What the hell happened to the Ichigo I knew, the Ichigo that didn't even fear death? You're just scared!"

Whirling on her in anger for the second time that night, Ichigo grabbed her by the collar of her shihakusho, desperate to make her understand. "You just don't get it do you? There are some things worse than death Rukia! If anything happens to her because of me, I'll never forgive myself!"

"Stop making such pathetic excuses, it's really unbecoming," Rukia said, her tone glacial, cold, slow, and dangerous as she shoved him off her. "Sure, go ahead and push her away. You'll keep her physically safe. And yet what you fail to realize is that won't stop her from loving you. Your denial doesn't make her feelings go away, and every step you walk away from her is another knife you put in her heart. So yeah, go ahead, push her away, pretend it doesn't exist. She'll be alive, but you'll destroy her from the inside out." Pushing away from him in disgust, Rukia walked away from Ichigo, back over to where Orihime stood.

"…Is everything okay?" Orihime asked Rukia carefully, worried when she didn't see Ichigo return with her.

"Yeah, it will be," Rukia said, giving Orihime a halfhearted smile, still thoroughly annoyed. "Is it alright if I stay with you tonight?"

Nodding, Orihime frowned. "But… what happened to Kurosaki-kun?"

"He… had some business to take care of," Rukia lied, cringing inwardly. It was hard to lie to the other girl, so hopeful and fragile.

"Oh… I see," Orihime said quietly, looking down at the ground, disappointed.

Putting her hand on Orihime's shoulder, she led them both up the steps to Orihime's apartment. "Don't worry too much. He'll be fine."

"I hope so."

…

"Whhhhaaaaaattttttt?!"

"Well you see, I didn't get to eat breakfast the other day and I didn't sleep very well and- AH!" Orihime yelped, Chizuru gripping her in an iron clad hug.

"I'm just so glad you're okay Hime-chan! I was sooooooo worried, don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Eh heh…"

"Alright, that's enough," Tatsuki growled, grabbing Chizuru by the back of her shirt and peeling her off of Orihime.

"But, but Tatsuki-…"

"I said that's enough. Leave her alone, she's been through enough," Tatsuki said tightly, as Chizuru turned away towards her desk, sulking and pouting as she watched them from afar.

Rolling her eyes, Tatsuki gave Orihime a once over, checking to see if she was still hurt. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine Tatsuki-chan, never better!" Orihime said, braving a smile.

Sighing, Tatsuki stared out the window, the morning sunlight bathing the room. "I'm really sorry Orihime."

"But…for what?"

"I wasn't there when you needed me. I've always protected you and yet… lately everything's changed so much. I feel like… I feel like you don't even need me anymore. Whatever it is you've been doing… you've gotten so strong, Orihime. You shouldn't ever need to fight. You have to fight because I'm not strong enough."

"Tatsuki-chan?" Orihime asked, concerned at the unusual shakiness in Tatsuki's voice.

Shaking her head, Tatsuki moved over to her desk, slumping into the chair. "Nevermind. I'll be okay."

Still confused by Tatsuki's meaning, Orihime frantically waved her hands. "But I'm fine Tatsuki-chan, really! You worry too much. Besides, Kurosaki-kun took me home and kept me safe, I wasn't alone, just like you asked."

Giving her a side long glance, Tatsuki braced herself for her next words. "Yeah… about that. Orihime, I think you should stay away from Ichigo for awhile."

"H-huh? What are you talking about Tatsuki-chan? Kurosaki-kun would never do anything? You've been with him for so long, why would you say something like that?"

"Stay away from him Orihime. I mean it," Tatsuki said, reaffirming, stomach twisting into knots knowing that the girl had no intention of following said advice.

"O-okay," Orihime said, at a loss for anything else to say. Whatever had Tatsuki so concerned the past couple days, Orihime knew she was dead serious. In the whole time she'd known her, she'd never seen Tatsuki like this, not once. Taking her place behind Tatsuki's desk, Orihime watched as Ichigo and Rukia walked into the room, as if having been summoned by cue.

"Hey look! That hot transfer student is back!" one of the male students in the class shouted as Ichigo and Rukia sat down next to each other near Orihime, Keigo following behind them.

"You guys look pretty cozy. You *positive* you're not dating? It sure looks that way. Man, why am I always the last one to know about these things? You guys hate me don't you?" Keigo whined.

Biting her lip, Orihime folded her hands in her lap, trying hard to ignore the teasing comments, to keep a fresh wave of jealousy from springing fourth.

"Shut up," Ichigo growled. "She isn't my girlfriend. It isn't anything like that."

"Then how come you guys are always seen together? Oh… I get it. I bet you asked her out and she rejected you so you follow her around until she changes her mind."

"I said shut it already."

"Man, you are in some serious denial dude. Hey Rukia, got a date for the Tanabata festival yet?" Keigo asked as he sat down beside her.

"Not interested," she responded flatly.

"Hey, it was worth a try," he said, seemingly unfazed by the instant rejection.

"Alright everyone, that's enough. Please take your seats now," the teacher said, arm full of papers as she opened the classroom door and walked toward the podium, a boy following close behind. Whispers and murmurs began to meld together, some of the girls swooning and blushing throughout the classroom while the boys gave him a glance, wondering what about him was so wonderful that they didn't have, Keigo especially vocal.

"Today we have a new student joining us. Please welcome Hiko to our class," the teacher sang cheerfully.

"Thank you," the boy replied, voice deep as he smiled, calm and collected. "I'm sure I'll enjoy my stay here," he said, eyes falling on Orihime as he held her gaze, "…very much."

Orihime went completely still, her breathing becoming shallow and rapid, butterflies dancing nervously in her stomach. _'It's him…' _she said to herself as Hiko continued to stare at her, freezing her in place. _'But why is he here?'_

Rukia, noticing Orihime's sudden panicked reaction, went completely on edge. Glancing back at Hiko, she couldn't help but feel sick at the dark reiatsu waves he was emitting.

"I don't like this," she whispered to Ichigo, whose eyes never left Hiko for a second.

"Yeah," he echoed, expressionless and uneasy, every muscle tense.

"Where can you sit? Uhm… oh! Take the seat next to Inoue-san. Please, kindly show him around when you are able, we want him to feel at home here," the teacher spoke.

Tatsuki, beside them, had a similar reaction. _'What's he doing here? And how is he able to move freely like this?' _she wondered to herself, eyes wide with shock as Hiko passed her, giving her a quick, smug smile, daring her to stop him. Taking his seat next to Orihime, Hiko's hand brushed Orihime's as he moved beside her, causing her to blush and shutter from the gentle touch.

"I look forward to our time together Princess," he spoke, low and deep, his jet black hair glistening in the sun, his gaze burning into her skin while he looked at her.

"Yeah… me too…" Orihime said softly and uncertain, trying to keep her voice steady as the teacher began her lesson, chalk grinding on blackboard.

'_What should I do? I can't tell Kurosaki-kun. He'll only worry about me more. And what if he's really dangerous now too? I can't let Kurosaki-kun get hurt for me anymore.' _She wondered to herself, desperately trying to focus on the mass of words and numbers on the board, pencil quivering in her grip, none of it meaning anything to her.

…

As soon as the lunch bell rang, Orihime was instantly out the door, not a word breathed to Ichigo, Rukia, Tatsuki, or any of her other friends as she hurried to the roof, melting into the crowd of students, determined to evade them all.

Taking a seat on one of the impromptu concrete benches, Orihime set the plastic bag that held her obento box aside, ignored and forgotten as she stared blankly through the chainlink fence that lined the perimeter, the warm wind dancing through her hair. Normally lunch was Orihime's favorite part of the day, but for once her appetite was extremely lacking.

'_There's no way, there's no way I can do this all by myself. I'm not strong enough. I'm always the one that has to be saved.' _Orihime thought to herself sadly. It always felt to her that no matter the strides she made with her powers, her friends always seemed to be ten steps ahead of her. Forever on the outside looking in.

She thought back to her time spent as Ulquiorra's captive when Ichigo had nearly lost himself in an effort to save her. She remembered the terror, the sadness of knowing he'd become like that to save her, to the point he had been willing to destroy those closest to him. All because of her, because she wasn't strong enough to save herself. A single tear rolled down her cheek, a fresh batch of tears blurring the world around her, making no move to wipe them away. She'd always been so certain that she'd do whatever it took to help him. If he got hurt, she'd heal him, if he was in trouble, she'd shield him. She thought maybe now that the fighting had ended, she wouldn't have to put him in that situation ever again. But that had only turned out to be wishful thinking, the cycle was truly endless. There would always be evil in the world that needed to be extinguished, and Ichigo would always be called upon as the guiding light. And now…

"Maybe he's better off without me…" Orihime whispered into the wind miserably.

"What's a beautiful girl like you have to be so sad about?" came the familiar voice behind her. Hearing the words, Orihime froze as she craned her head back to look. "Oh… Hiko… it's you…"

"You don't sound very happy to see me Princess," he smiled, moving towards her, a large bouquet of white roses cradled in his arm.

"I… I'm sorry, you just startled me, that's all," Orihime said, backing away from him slowly until her back was pressed against the fence.

"Forgive me," Hiko said, offering the bouquet as he leaned in close to her, causing Orihime to blush as she accepted the silky flowers awkwardly.

"Th-thank you."

Neither one noticed Rukia's presence behind the stairwell corner.

"So tell me. Do you have a date to the Tanabata festival yet?"

"N-No," Orihime replied nervously as Hiko leaned in.

…

Breathless and panting, Rukia cursed the very human limitations of her gigai as she leapt down the stairs, bounding down the halls as if her life depended on it. When she finally arrived back at the classroom, she found Ichigo, alone and staring out the window. She quickly gripped him firmly by the arm, nails digging painfully into his skin as she pulled him towards the doorway, knocking him off balance while his chair tipped over.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"There's no time. Don't argue, just come," Rukia breathed.

Easily escaping her grasp, Ichigo pulled away from her. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

"That new guy, Hiko, he's trying to make a move on Orihime," she said, every word coated with urgency.

"Yeah right. I know what you're trying to do Rukia. I already told you, it's not happening."

"You idiot," she snarled. "I'm serious, he's with her on the roof right now!"

When he said nothing, she grabbed him by the back of the neck, as she'd done so many times in the past, and pulled his arm around behind his back, paralyzing him. "Listen to me," Rukia spoke, her voice like a sharpened edge. "I know you care about her. I know you don't want to lose her. That guy is bad news and you know it, and if you don't stop this, it might just happen. If you want to protect her, that means protecting her heart as well. You can't keep her hanging on like this. If you're so adamant that your being together would put her in danger, then fine, you're right, I can't tell you how to live your life, so this is the last time I will bother you about it. But I know you, Ichigo. You don't fool me. I know it would kill you to lose her to someone else no matter how many times you try to convince others, or yourself, otherwise."

…

Unable to see a way out, Orihime swayed uncomfortably in place as Hiko leaned into her, his breath softly caressing neck, causing a shiver to cascade down her spine. Gently he pushed the bangs away from her eyes, tucking the locks of hair neatly in place behind her ear, his touch causing her skin to shutter.

"So what do you say Princess? Will you go with me to the festival? Will you become my Orihime for just one night?"

Swallowing hard, Orihime desperately tried to look anywhere but directly at him, but found it highly difficult, his presence magnetic. "I…" she trailed off, her eyes landing on the bag of cookies peeking out from her school bag, the ones she had intended to use to ask Ichigo to the festival. She felt a pang of sadness knowing that it very likely would never happen, wondering why she had agonized so much over them when she already knew the answer. Before Orihime could respond to him, she heard the door swing open with a bang as Ichigo and Rukia emerged from the stairwell, Ichigo immediately grabbing Hiko and pulling him away from Orihime, pinning him roughly against the fence.

"She's not going anywhere with you because she's going with me," Ichigo said, every feature on his body daring the other to try something.

"Ah, I didn't realize she was spoken for," Hiko replied with a smile, his words laced with poison, eyes glaring sharp as knives, his demeanor suggesting he was anything but happy.

"I don't know who you are or what you want, but if you so much as lay another finger on her, I will make you regret the day you ever met me. That's a promise. You *will* stay away from her."

"Is that so?" Hiko asked, half amused, making one last glance at Orihime before Ichigo released his grip. "Then perhaps you should take better care of her. One day she might just slip from your grasp," he said, voice taunting. Tucking his hands in his pockets, Hiko moved away from them, giving them all a venomous smile before disappearing down the stairwell.

"We'll see who the one left with regret is Kurosaki Ichigo."

* * *

Damn, Ichigo is really dense. Haha.

Okay, kidding aside, I apologize if this chapter is somewhat lackluster, especially the latter half. I stayed up a long time to finish writing it because I was excited to get it out, but now my inner perfectionist is yelling at me and there's probably six billion errors. Ah well, I will probably end up revising later like usual. I really don't think I'm happy with it.

A few notes, I apologize for the lack of moving plot still, but most of this will be important later I promise, and truthfully it's going to be a pretty long fic.

Next chapter will begin to explain what's going on with Hikoboshi, as well as what Tatsuki's role is in all of this and why she knows so much. And last but not least I apologize for angstyemo!Ichigo, if it was too much, or any oocness. Somehow if Kubo ever gets to it, I don't picture Ichigo handling Orihime's feelings and his feelings for her (if he will get a grip and finally realize them -_-) very well, at least not to begin with. Lol. Also, I know that the mysterious transfer student thing is a bit cliché, but I couldn't really think of another way for him to get close to Orihime to cause problems in a way that made sense.

Anyway, thanks again for reading! Please review, it really helps me a lot ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note – **I'm really sorry guys, I didn't mean to put this much time in between chapters. Life spiraled out of control for a bit, but I'm hoping things will be okay enough for me to write a little faster.

On a slightly different tangent I finally caught up with the Bleach manga and I'm so glad I did because it gave me lots of awesome ideas.

Before I start the story I just wanted to address one of my reviews because it came up with a couple of really good points and I didn't know if anyone else wondered the same things. So **1) How is Hiko able to move without Gigai? **This is something I can't say yet, because if I say it'll give it away. Not just saying that I promise! **2) How did Orihime not notice Rukia's engagement ring? **Okay I admit I didn't really think about this, though I had planned to have them talk at one you to nypsy for bringing these up ^_^ I will be replying to reviews as soon as I can!

Thank you to everyone who read, review, followed, or favorited!

* * *

_**Chapter Four – **__"The End of Everything? The Seal of Dark Desire"_

Orihime wasn't sure how long they'd been walking, but she'd hoped they were nearly there. She couldn't bear to lift her eyes from the sidewalk, preferring to watch her feet shuffle on the pavement, brown leather moving in rhythmic sync. She also couldn't remember the last time they'd had such a hot summer- her face was burning up! And curiously, every time she ventured a glance in Ichigo's direction- and really, she was improving, starting to focus on him instead of just looking in his general vicinity- she could swear the sun would burn even more!

Similarly, Ichigo, in front of her, stared straight ahead, stoic and stone-like. Rukia, next to him, was busy beating on her communicator, the Chappy charm attached to it whipping around in the air, while the phone continued to tell her in a sing song mocking voice that no data could be found on her entry.

Orihime's nerves were shaking, her hands wringing the handle of her school bag. Her orange hair glittered in the sun, paneling along her face, magnifying the already bright red blush. She knew she had to ask, but she was too scared. But if she didn't ask, he might forget, or perhaps he'd never wanted to go in the first place and just said it to rescue her. And if she did ask, maybe he'd remember he didn't actually want to go. At least by keeping quiet, it was still kinda like he had agreed and maybe it had the best chance of happening or maybe it could-

"Ahem."

Nerves seizing, Orihime squeaked as she lifted her head to find Rukia looking back at her, winking with a mischievous glance as she turned to face Ichigo. Orihime swallowed hard, she knew this couldn't end well.

"Hey Ichigo-…"

"H-HEY Kuchiki-san! Can't we talk about this later we really should be going to Urahara-san's-…" Orihime trailed off before being cut off by Rukia's stony glare.

Snapping out of his trance, Ichigo stopped and turned to look at both of them, confusion setting in. "Oh… sorry."

"As I was saying.," Rukia continued, louder this time, ignoring Orihime's flailing protests in the background, "I was wondering, since you're taking Inoue to the Tanabata festival, if it would be okay if Renji and I joined you both. You know, kinda like a double date. It'll be fun!" Rukia said in a cheery voice that underlined a not so subtle 'do it or I'll kill you' tone.

"I don't know, I think I'd rather be figuring out where that Hiko guy came from- OW!" Ichigo yelled as Rukia cut him off with a pinch.

"Yes, and he seemed to be an awful big fan of Inoue's. If you don't watch her, he might just steal her away," she growled, fake smile still plastered on her face while yanking her head back in Orihime's direction.

Visibly tensing, Ichigo's face hardened remembering how close Hiko had been to Orihime, the way his lips had nearly been on her, how he had been staring at her… the memory made his blood boil, though he still didn't quite understand why she got to him so much. She was just a friend- his close friend who this… this… whoever the hell he was, was trying to take from him. "Fine," he said shortly, spinning on his heel as he turned down the alleyway. Rukia turned back to Orihime, giving her a wink and a thumbs up.

Orihime could feel the blood draining from her face, red blurring into pale white as the blush was replaced by muted horror. She was grateful for the railing next to her, her legs feeling watery and weak as the world started spinning around her. She was going on a date… a date with Ichigo… Ichigo, the boy she'd loved for years, just agreed to go out with her on the most romantic night of the year. She felt her stomach plunge to her feet as she felt someone grab her by the arm and start shaking her.

"Hey… Inoue? Are you in there?" Rukia asked, waving a hand in front of the strawberry blonde's face and giving her another small shake.

"Uh… huh…" Orihime said quietly and breathlessly, staring straight ahead as everything continued to blur around her, reality still not quite setting in.

"Come on, let's go! Urahara is waiting for us!" Rukia said before grabbing Orihime's hand and pulling her away from the railing. Orihime could do nothing but follow helplessly, being dragged along on jelly legs.

As they turned the corner, they quickly caught up to Ichigo. Upon walking into the open space where Urahara Shoten stood, they could make out a tall man with red hair sweeping the ground, grumbling to himself, wincing as tiny paper balls hit him every few seconds before dropping the broom in rage, shaking a fist towards the roof.

"Hey! Knock it off before I come up there!"

"Ooh scary! You hear that Ururu? The freeloader's gonna come up here and make scary faces at us!"

"You little brat, come down here and say that!"

"Nah, that's okay, I like looking at you from up here. You're like a tiny little puppet with strings!" Jinta yelled down to him with a devilish grin.

"That's it, I'm going to teach you some manners if it's the last thing I ever do!"

Tessai, lurking in the corner, sitting cross-legged and watching the show from afar, stared at the angry Shinigami. "Is there a problem Freeloader-san? Perhaps you're gesturing to the roof because you feel it is the best place to sleep and you wish to move there?"

Growling, Renji inhaled sharply while flashing a glare in Jinta and Ururu's direction before begrudgingly picking up the broom. "Meh… and who'd wanna miss this?" he bit out as another spit ball collided with his face.

"Yo, Renji! I didn't know you went into the maid business," Ichigo called as the trio emerged from the alley.

Whirling on him angrily, Renji grabbed Ichigo by the collar of his uniform and waved the broom at him threateningly. "Shut it idiot, no one asked you!"

"Nice to see you too," Ichigo said flatly while shoving his hands in his pockets, staring Renji straight in the eyes.

Groaning, Rukia stepped between them, unhinging Renji's hands from Ichigo's collar. "Sorry boys, I think you're lost, pre-school's about three blocks down the street."

"Rukia!" Renji said hurriedly, instantly dropping Ichigo, blushing as his hand flew behind his neck nervously.

Grinning at him, Rukia brushed gently at his cheek. "You kinda got something-…"

Eyes widening in horror, Renji's hand flew to his face as he pulled away from her. "Oh, yeah I'm just gonna…" he said hurriedly, before abandoning the broom a second time to run into the shop, picking the little papery clumps out of his ponytail.

"Kurosaki-san! So pleasant to see you again!"

Turning towards the store, Ichigo watched as Urahara exited, fan waving, the usual mysterious smirk hidden under the shadow of his hat, wooden sandals clacking against concrete. "Please, come inside! I'm sure you have a lot to ask," he said, gesturing to the red moon that was rising with the sunset.

…

It was a roaring rage, the sound of shattering glass, bad luck rising times seven years exponentially.

"I ALMOST HAD HER!"

CRASH. Another mirror turned to silvery, jagged dust, blood smearing and dripping on the pieces like watercolor paint.

"He's taken everything from me… he took my crown, my love… he took MY LIFE. He expects me to just be his horse while he rides to his glory! What should be MINE!" he screamed, echoing into the dark void.

"Hmph," came the mocking noise from behind him, followed by a steady, rising laugh, the catlike grin spreading across the other man's face manically. Sky blue hair fell in his face as his body shook with laughter. "Maybe if you weren't so weak, you'd be getting somewhere."

Turning to face him, Hikoboshi withdrew his zanpakutou, stabbing the wall next to the other man's face, coming within mere centimeters as the sky fell to the floor, shards of stray hair being cut by the blade. "I don't need any lectures from the likes of you. He defeated you too, you're pathetic."

Unfazed, Grimmjow turned and grabbed the sword and without skipping a beat, threw it back to its master, nearly driving it into his heart. "And yet here I am, and here you are, still locked away like an animal in a cage. And until you get out, you need my help. So I'd be very cautious about who you choose to piss off, your highness," he finished, his voice tinged with a dangerous edge, even though the Cheshire-like grin had yet to dissolve.

Resheathing his zanpakutou, Hikoboshi only looked back at him in disgust. "And what do you suggest? The only way I can be released from this state is by her power and as long he is around her, she will never give in."

"There is one way she might turn against him…"

…

"And they've told you nothing I assume."

"No, nothing. And I can't get any records when I search the databases, and of course Kurotsuchi-taichou was his usual helpful self," Rukia explained, holding up her phone so it flashed the missing file picture for dramatic effect, a little Chappy dancing around and sticking out its tongue.

Swallowing hard, Orihime could only sip at the tea in front of her, eager to be anywhere but here, not even wanting to think about the strange Hollow.

"Doesn't surprise me," Urahara said with monotone, waving his fan in front of his face absentmindedly. "After all, this particular Hollow may be the biggest threat Soul Society's ever faced. You see, that blood red moon is an omen, a sign of its awakening. It was prophesied that it would happen on the seventh day of the seventh month, exactly two thousand years after it was sealed away, when the stars of Vega and Altair were in perfect alignment with the moon."

"What exactly makes it so dangerous?" Ichigo asked.

"This particular Hollow was the original Arrancar, the only one created before the invention of the Hogyoku spheres. It was rumored to be an abnormally strong Hollow, at the height of Vasto Lorde strength."

"Big deal, we've faced Arrancar of that power level before, why should we be so scared of this one," Renji asked, waving his hand in the air nonchalantly, less than impressed.

Orihime's breathing began to thin and shallow, mouth subconsciously grasping for oxygen as if underwater.

"It's not that simple I'm afraid. Before the Hogyoku spheres were created, it was impossible for a Hollow to become a full Arrancar on its own, even for a Vasto Lorde."

"Meaning he had to get the power from somewhere?" Rukia supplied.

She could feel the blood rushing to her head, her heartbeat rising in the wave…

Higher…

And higher…louder…

"Precisely. But from who and why, we don't know. All we know is that if it is allowed to break free, it will be the end of the world."

She clutched the teacup tighter within her grasp, her hands losing all color from the effort, tea vibrating weakly as it reacted to her distress…

"So what's stopping it from breaking free?" Ichigo asked.

"It's said that when the Hollow reached the height of its power, the Spirit King himself placed a seal on the Hollow and buried it within another soul, and that the seal can only be broken by the King, or the King's daughter, the Princess. The Princess had her own divine power and could reject any reality she wished, transcending his own power, and he feared that this Hollow was only using his daughter for her abilities. It is said that the Princess was deeply in love with this Hollow and that it would be easy for her to break the seal as her love for him was overwhelmingly powerful. Fearful that she would try, the King tore a rift in Heaven, creating a barrier between them in order to keep her from releasing him. In his anger, the Hollow attacked the King and tried to overthrow him for the throne of Heaven, but never succeeded before he was sealed away within the other soul."

The waves crashed over her, dark water pulling her under, caught in the undertow, her heartbeat like a concrete chain holding her down…

"If he is released… is there any way to stop him?" Rukia asked.

"There is one way. You must find the Princess before tomorrow night. She cannot be allowed to break the seal or it will mean the end of everything," Urahara finished.

Shattered.

All turned to look at a breathless Orihime, hands still forming a cupping position, the shards of porcelain scattered around her, her gray skirt damp with the hot tea, eyes blank and empty.

"Inoue, are you okay? You look pale," Ichigo asked worriedly, grasping her by the shoulders and attempting to look her in the eyes.

Smiling weakly, Orihime looked up at him, eyes still expressionless. "I… I just… the tea. It was too hot," she fumbled, moving to pick up the pieces of painted clay. "I'm… gonna go clean up," she said hurriedly, jumping out of her place and running down the hall.

Her panic wasn't lost on Urahara who stared after her with a hardened look. "You need to keep a close eye on her."

"Actually, that's what we came here to ask you about. Inoue's been under attack, and we were hoping you had some answers."

Clamping his fan shut with a sudden snap, Urahara nodded in understanding. "I am already aware of her situation and I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you now."

Ichigo leapt across the table, grabbing Urahara by the robe, anger masking desperation as his voice rose. "What do you mean you can't help? Inoue might die and all you can do is sit there and do nothing?!" he screamed.

"Ichigo, calm down!" Rukia pleaded, trying to pry his arm off of Urahara.

"No I will not calm down! Inoue needs us!" Ichigo yelled, ferocity giving way to anguish. "She almost died, and I couldn't stop it. All of this… my powers, my training, everything and nothing I had could save her… you're telling me, that there's absolutely no way I can protect her?"

"Kurosaki-san," Urahara said quietly, firmly, not once attempting to pull the other man off him. "I know that Inoue-san means a great deal to you. But I'm afraid it isn't that simple. At the moment, there is only one person who can help her and keep her safe."

"Who?! Tell me who!" Ichigo pleaded, voice rising as if he could make all of this stop by sheer force of will alone.

"That will come in time. But right now you need to focus on finding the Princess. If you don't, the consequences will be dire, and not only will Inoue-san's life be lost, but billions of innocent lives as well."

"But where are we even supposed to look, it could be anyone," Rukia said exasperatedly.

"There is one person who will know," Urahara said, folding his arms into his sleeves. "Her royal guardian."

"Yes, because that's so much more helpful and less vague than telling us to go find the mystery Princess," Renji added sarcastically.

"No actually it's quite simple," Urahara said, voice taking on a sudden chipper tone, "In Soul Society, every noble family has a lesser noble family assigned to protect it. The royal family is no different, in addition to Division Zero, they have their own personal bodyguards, in fact you're very familiar with them Kurosaki-san. These royal guardians come from the Arisawa family.

* * *

I apologize, I finished writing this at 3:30am and once again it's not really coming out the way I want it, but unfortunately this time of night is usually all the time I have. :(

I'm not sure when Chapter 5 will be around as I have a research paper, 2 projects, and 2 exams on the horizon, however I can at least promise it will be before the end of the year, haha.

I lost everything else I had been planning to say here, oh well. Thank you for reading, please review! :)


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